Apparatus for transferring mail-pouches.



PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

RQGQ SHARP. APPARATUS FOR TRANSFBRRING MAIL POUGHES. I

- APPLICATION FILED 60131. 1907.

' Quoantoz ametransferrin mail pouches,

' said objects-inanimproved. and most satislike numerals of re erence indicate correg Be-it known t at I, ROBERT CHARLES Smnr, a citizen of for;. ,'1 ransferring hereby declare the following to be a full,

-ma1l car equippc with my improved catcher tioned to receive said pouch. Fig.2, is a ROBERT 'cnraLEssnARr,

OF APPLE GREEK, OHIO.

m mes FOR piiaansrnnnme MAIL-POUCMS.

T6 whom it ma concern:

the United States, residmg at Apple Creek, in the county of Wayne Mail-Pouches;--and I do clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such-as will enable ot ersskilled in'theart appertains to. make and use the invention relates to. apparatus for I receptacles or othergartic es of merchandise, to and from fast moving mail or express trains, with accurac and with entire safety to the contents o such pouches, receptacles and articles, or-to the ersons engaged in receiving and delivering. em. I f More particularly stated the present invention contemplates a novel extension and arrangement of the ordinary mail-catcher or collector, whereby a suspended pouch may be automatically released and delivered, or transferred, to an inclined trolley wire or cable at stations equipped for exchanging mail. Theinventionforaccomplishing the aforefactory manner, consistsin the construction, novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in-the claims following.

v In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, and whereon sponding parts inthe several views: Figure 3 1, represents in side elevation the body of a and deliverer from which is suspended a, mail pouch, and adjacent thereto is shown 5 an inclined cable partly broken away, for E economy of space on the drawing, and posi- Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed October 311 1907. Serial Ne. 100.053-

plan view of the catcher and deliverer, the receiving end of the cable, and the over- 3 hanging horizontal support therefor. Fig.

. 3, is a plan View partly 1n section of the auto- F matic cast-off mechanism,

Fig. 4, is a side elevation of parts shown by Fig. 3. Fi 5 I is a transverse section taken on the inc 5-5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is also a transverse sec tion on the line'66 Fig. 3; i

Reference being had to the drawings and 5 e mail car upon which are secured the usual 1 2atented Feb. 25, 1908.

collector-brackets 2, 2, at opposite sides of the. car door. In said brackets is pivotally mounted the ordinary catcher or mail-receiver 3, which however, in this instance, is folded upon itself to form a continuation 4 hereinafter termed the body member of the carrier 7, which again folding upon itself diverges and-terminates in a gatherer 8, at a point in advance of its socketed connection.

Surrounding and secured to the carrier -7 is a shackle 9 to which the mail bag, ready for delivery, may be attached. While at a point between said shackle and the socketed end of said carrier, is pivotally connected a latch or trigger 10 having a bifurcated trailing e'nd 'l111 and an angular advance end 12 as best shown by Fig. 3. Normally the ends 1111 are elevated, and the advance end 12 depressed by action of a suitable-spring l3 interposed between said latch and its supporting carrier at a point back? of'its pivotal connection, and in such positien the end 12 passing through slot 14 of the socket aforesaid enters notch 6 to retain said body member 4 and carrier 7 in locke relation.

Adjacent to and by prererence parallel with'the tracks or line (if travel at receiving stations, is an upwardly inclined receiving line Wire or cable15 of sufiicient length to gradually overcome the inertia of a mail pouch when transferred thereto from a rapidly running train. This line or cable 15 is securely aiiixed to horizontal overhanging arms 16 projected from suitable uprights 17.-17 which it connects, and, upon it is a trolley wheel 18 having a depending chain 19 held taut by a weight 20 at its lowermost end for purposes that will now appear in a brief operation of mydescriptionof the use and invention.

Presuming for example that a mall pouch has been suspended from shackle 9as indicated by Fig. 1, and that the mail car moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, is approaching a receiving station properly equipped. Obviously, as the weighted depending chain 19 is gathered into the diverging terminal arm 8, the bifurcated or trailing ends 1111 of latch 10 are depressed and its advance angular end 12 withdrawn from looking engagement with notch 6 in shank 5. Thus automatically released, the ordinary mail catcher or collector 3 together with the body member 4, passes on with car 1 while the detachable and now detached carrier 7,-with the bifurcated: ends 11' 11 of latch-L0 embracing a link of pendant chain 19, is transferred to the cable 15. Traversing said cable in an upward ,direction by agency of the trolley wheel 18 t 'e inertia of the pouch and carrier is gradu 11y overcome by gravity and the pouch is i inally returned to the lowermost or starting point upon said cable to be removed by an attendant. Thus it will be noted an e bhange of mail pouchesor similar articles may be made instantaneously, for while one pouch isbeing delivered as above described, another may, if desired, be gathered into the collector 3, in the ordinary manner from a suitable crane or su port on the roadside.

It may be noted also that various changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made and substituted for those shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention; for example, cable 15 may vary in length, its angle of inclination,

or both, according to speed requirements; or said cable may be rendered vertically adjustable at one end for similar reasons.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described the combination with a mail bag catcher, of a detachable pouch supporting carrier mounted upon said catcher, a receiving-line, and means interposed between said line and carrier for automatically releasing said carrier and transferring it to the line aforesaid, substantially as described.

2.1111 an apparatus of the class described the combination with a car, ofa pouchsupporting carrier comprising a body member and a detachable member, a latch for interlocking said members, a fixed receiving line and a pendant from said line for engagmg said latch to automatically release and transfer said detachable pouch-carrying memher to the receiving line aforesaid, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the class described the combination with a car, of a pouch supporting carrier comprising a body member and a detachable member, a" spnngand transferred to the receiving ine afore- ,said,-substantially as described. 4. In an apparatus of the'cla'ss described the combination with a car having mounted thereon a mail collectorfand deliverer, the latter comprising relatively fixedand deta'chable. pouch-carrying members, 'of latch for interlocking said members, "and. ,means at the receiving station for disengaging said latch 'to release said detachable pouch-carrying member, substantially as de-. scribed.

5. In an'apparatus of the classdescribed the combinatlon with a car ha mounted thereon a mail collector and dehverer the latter comprising relatively fixed detachable pouchcarrying members, of a latch for, interlocking said members having a normally elevated bifurcated. trailing extremity, and a pendant at thereceiving station in the path of said latch-extremity for releasing said detachable pouch-carrying member, substantially as described. .6. In an apparatus of the class described the combination with a car. having mounted thereon, a mail collector and deliverer, sub stantially S shape in form comprising relatively fixed and detachable pouch-carrying members, of a latch for interlocking said members, a fixed receiving line at the receiving station, and a trolle -mounted endant upon said line in the path said for releasing said detachable pouchcarrying 'member and transferring same to the receiving line aforesaid, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I affix my. signature, in presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

ROBERT CHARLES SHARP. Witnesses:

H. M. MEIES,

R. R. WINKLER.

of the latc afore- 

